Change
by writerfangirl
Summary: There is only one constant thing in life, and that is change. It's irony at its best. Everything is changing for Dick, it's not for the best.


**A/N: This is just a little something I've posted ****because I haven't updated my other story "Our Depressing Talks". I own nothing as always.**

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Dick hates change.

It's the only constant thing in life, and he hates it. His parents died, that was a big change. He was constantly kidnapped –it didn't matter if he was Robin or Dick Grayson– that was another change. Now Roy's leaving, yet another change.

"Roy please, think about this." He pleaded to the archer. He was walking with Roy, having trouble keeping up with him. Wally and Kaldur had left, while he went after Roy.

Roy turned around harshly. "I am _done_ being a _sidekick_." He spat out the word like it burned him. "The League is treating us like children, when we lost that privilege a long time ago." He finished hollowly, remembering the forest fire that claimed his childhood.

He wants respect. He sure as hell isn't getting that from the League. Honestly, he thought that Robin would be the one to understand him the most. "Guess I was wrong." He thought bitterly.

"Roy we're getting our own team. This is what you wanted! More missions, more responsibilities, our own base!" he exclaimed. "Why can't you just be happy about it?" he was getting desperate.

"Robin, that is not what I wanted. I don't care if we didn't have any of those. I just wanted to be treated like an equal!" Is this kid for real? Ever since Oliver took him in, he was babied and underestimated. He was sick of it, and he was putting an end to it.

"And you can't just ask Ollie to do that?" he retorted. He understood him, he really did, but he doesn't want to lose Roy. This whole solo act he was putting on, he can see it spiraling out of control, he's going to lose his brother he just knows it.

"I don't want to lose you." He finally admitted in a whisper. He put his head down, not having the strength to look at the elder hero.

Roy's face softened at hearing the kid's words. How could he be so blind? Of course Dick understood him, he was just afraid. Memories of their time together as both heroes and wards flashed in his mind. Memories of him playing with him, comforting him, saving each other, this was his little brother he was staring at.

He gave a sigh, and kneeled down to Dick's level. He used two fingers to gently life up Dick's face to meet his. A lone tear escaped from under his mask, and Roy wiped it away with his thumb. "I'm not going to leave you Dickie-bird." He said softly.

Dick shook his head, looking much younger than usual. "Yes you will." He negated. "You're not going to stay with the League. You're going to leave me, and Wally too." He sounded so much like a kid and it broke Roy's heart.

"Tell you what," he started. He is _not_ going to leave his brother, he would make sure of it. "I promise, on my honor, that I will never leave you. Not really." He said to the boy who seemed to be calming down. "I will keep in touch, it'll be like I never left." He finished with a smile.

Dick looked at him, slowly smiling. There was hope yet. "I promise too." He said. In this business, anything can happen. He doesn't like making promises like this –especially since he doesn't know if he can keep this promise.

With a final hug, the two brothers separated, going in different directions.

BREAKLINE

Receiving a call from Dick while he was on patrol wasn't unusual, the fact that he sounded pained was. He was tying up the last of the robbers, when his communicator whirred to life. It was a special communicator Dick had designed for the two of them. There was only two in the world, one was his, and the other was Roy's.

"Robin?" he asked into the communicator.

"R-roy." Came the weak response. Immediately Roy started running towards the nearest Zeta Tube, which was on the other side of town.

"Robin? What's wrong? Where are you?" He asked into the comm. He leapt up a building's fire escape, onto the rooftop, and started swinging through the city.

"C-crime…alley." He heard the boy say. Crime Alley? Why the hell was he in Crime Alley. A bad feeling settled into the pit of his stomach.

"Robin what's your condition?" he asked urgently. He was just a few blocks away from the Zeta Tube, but the Zeta in Gotham was three blocks away from Crime Alley.

"M-multi-tiple…stab…wounds…in the a-abdo-domen." The boy was panting from blood loss, and Roy was panting from exertion. Stab wounds! Roy ran even faster and reached the Zeta. He punched in the code for Gotham and entered the booth.

He broke into another sprint. "Robin, Dick, keep talking." He all but screamed into the comm.

"I-I…be-beat…Wally in C-COD," Robin said weakly. He knew he was probably going to die, but he had to try. He had to fight, for Bruce, for Roy. It didn't matter that his odds were dangerously low, he made a promise and he was going to keep it. Or at least, he was going to _try_.

"That's it Robin." Roy encouraged. He has to make it, he was almost there, just a little more.

"R-roy. I…m-miss…you." Dick said pathetically into the comm. He did, he missed the days when things were simpler, he missed Roy, he missed Wally, and he missed Bruce. Everything was changing, everything was going away, and he might be going away too.

Roy was nearly in tears, he was almost there! Dick just has to stay awake. "I miss you too babybird. Don't worry; when you're all patched up, we can hang out. We can even bring Wally, just like the old days." One more block. Just one more block.

Roy ran around the corner, and he found Robin. He was lying in a puddle of blood, one hand pressing the device in his ear.

"ROBIN!" he screamed, running towards the limp form. He cradled his head in his arms. "Robin, robin, look at me." He ordered.

Slowly, oh so slowly, Dick turned his head, and gave a slow smile. "Hi." He said softly. It hurt to speak, but Roy didn't need to know that.

Roy gave a teary smile. "Hey there, babybird. Come on, I'm getting you to the Batcave. Agent A can patch you up." He said standing up, carrying the boy in his arms bridal style. He started running again, careful not to jostle Dick too much.

"C-can't. A's…in E-engl-land. B-B's out…of…the-the c-country." Damn it! Roy had to think fast, Dick wasn't going to last much longer.

"W-we'll go to Mount Justice!" Roy said. He was so close to having a nervous breakdown. The Zeta wasn't even five minutes out now; there was still hope.

Dick seemed to think otherwise. He was just thankful that he has the chance to say sorry to Roy…to say goodbye. "R-roy." He weakly called out. 'Weak' was usually something you would never associate with either Dick Grayson or Robin, now though it was probably the biggest understatement.

Roy looked at the bundle in his arms. "Yeah, Dickie?" he said softly, not even slowing down the slightest.

"I-I'm…sorry." The dying boy said. Roy didn't take his eyes of the road, but he did have a look of confusion.

"S-sorry for what?" he stuttered; whether it was from exhaustion or fear they didn't know.

"F-for…not…k-keeping my…p-prom-mise." Oh God, he was so _tired, _sleep soundedlike such a great idea right now; he's just afraid that he would never wake up again.

Roy vaguely remembered the promise they made a while back. He bit his lip to keep the tears in. No, his little brother wasn't going to break _that_ promise, at least, not before he does. Trust Dick to pin blame on himself while he was dyi-_injured. He was injured. _Nothing more.

"Well, I'm happy to say that you have nothing to be sorry for. You're not _going _to break your promise. We'll get you to Mount Justice and then you'll get patched up." He reassured. It's just _one minute away._

Dick hated himself right now. Everywhere he went, he hurt people. Roy was holding onto false hope. "R-roy. I-I'm…not…g-gonna…make it." He stuttered. "I'm sorry…I-I broke my promise. Please…fo-forgive…me."

Those were his last words. He didn't hear Roy scream at him. He didn't feel it when he entered through the zeta tube and entered Mount Justice. He didn't hear his teammates mourn when they saw him. He didn't see how hurt Batman was when he found out.

Yeah, Dick hated change.


End file.
